Happy Planet Index Research Articles

What do the sustainable development goals reveal, and are they sufficient for sustainable development?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 represent the current perceptions of humans regarding understanding and monitoring development. Achieving all 17 goals simultaneously is unrealistic. Considering the interconnected nature of SDGs, identifying their critical dimensions, goals, indicators, and mutual relationships is necessary. In addition, with increasing reservations about the sustainability of SDGs, it is crucial to explore consistency across different dimensions to ensure policy coherence in maximizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs. Our study employed multiple factor analysis (MFA) and hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) to investigate these issues and analyze the results based on the public value (PV) theory. The results indicated that the Human Development Index (HDI) and gross domestic product per capita (GDPP) constitute the first principal component (PC) and are determinants in differentiating country clusters. However, they contradict environmental indicators such as CO2 emissions per capita and ecological footprint gha per person (EFP) and have low synergy with the Happy Planet Index (HPI). Additionally, the relationships between income level, inequality, and environmental quality correspond to a combined Kuznets curve and an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). Moreover, governance capacity has become increasingly crucial in sustainable development, particularly in the capability to prioritize different PVs in a timely and strategic manner. Finally, despite the novelty of EFP and HPI, they cannot reveal the entire development story. SDGs require embracing more such indicators to enrich the value bases of development and achieve a sustainable future.

Wellbeing and sustainability in Europe in the 2010s–An empirical analysis

The decade of the 2010s was characterized by relative economic stability in Europe. Most of the countries had recovered from the financial crisis of the previous decade while the new socio-economic crises, brought by the early 2020s, were not yet on the horizon. The economic stability of this period does not mean the absence of systemic issues at all. Environmental degradation, aging societies, refugee crisis, or offshore scandals are but just to mention a few. However, due to the period of relative stability, the direct impact of these issues in different countries can be better illustrated and compared over the 2010s than during the crisis periods. In order to prove empirically this presumption, I apply longitudinal statistical data analyses, as well as cross-sectional regressions, among 39 European countries. The examined outcome variables are the Happy Planet Index (HPI), as an informal indicator of progress, and its sub-components, as proxy indicators for (subjective) wellbeing and (objective) sustainability. The results confirm the diverse trends in terms of wellbeing and sustainability in spite of the roughly even formal economic growth over the period. This highlights the necessity for a multifaceted approach to assess progress.

Экотопия, соляртопия и другие футуристические сценарии: куда идем?

The article discusses some futuristic scenarios for sustainable development (based on eight green steps). “Bringing information to the consumer” is realized through the presentation of a complex problem in the form of a relatively small number of alternatives. The sociological survey allowed us to assess the respondents on the scale of “comfort of living” in one of the scenario-described worlds. The Happy Planet Index is considered as an indicator of the well-being of the nation.

Exploring the Influence of Digital Transformation on Clean Energy Transition, Climate Change, and Economic Growth among Selected Oil-Export Countries through the Panel ARDL Approach

Amid global imperatives to combat climate change and achieve sustainable economic development, the convergence of digital transformation and the transition to clean energy has emerged as a critical focal point for oil-exporting nations. This study comprehensively investigates the interplay of digital technology, clean energy transition, climate change, and economic growth among selected oil-exporting nations. Drawing upon a diverse set of economic and geographical contexts, this study uses panel data analysis of data from the World Bank’s Economic Indicators and the United Nations Development Program for the period from 2006 to 2020. The results show that digital technology reduces climate change by improving environmental quality, but internet and mobile access have insignificant and negative effects on environmental quality, respectively. Meanwhile, all technology variables negatively impact green energy and economic growth, while the Happy Planet Index and financial development positively impact the green energy transition. This study is important for regulators, producers, and consumers, as it provides a better understanding of the crucial role of digital transformation in sustainable development within oil-export countries. This study’s findings can be used to develop policy recommendations for a low-carbon economy, the promotion of digital transformation through green energy, and the management of climate change.

Economy and happiness in the Visegrad Four and Scandinavian Four countries

This study examines whether there is a connection between certain economic indicators (gross domestic product, the aggregate amount of investment, inflation, average consumer prices, unemployment rate, general government revenue and expenditures, general government net borrowing costs and general government net debt, current account balance, and general well-being) and the indicators published in World Happiness Report, Life Expectancy, Ladder of Life, Ecological Footprint, Happy Planet Index, and the Human Development Index. The scope of the research extends to the Scandinavian Four (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) and the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia). The research findings indicate the existence of such a connection determined by general government revenue.

A critical analysis of selected global sustainability assessment frameworks: Toward integrated approaches to peace and sustainability

Achieving sustainable development requires peaceful conditions. However, current sustainability impact assessment tools tend to overlook aspects of positive peace, particularly in societies transitioning from conflict. Recent efforts attempt to address this gap, but the examination of how positive peace indicators integrate into major global sustainability assessment (GSA) frameworks remains underexplored. This study evaluates whether GSA frameworks consider positive peace or the elimination of structural violence and enabling societal conditions that sustain peace. We selected eight GSA frameworks for the analysis: Environmental Performance Index, Global Green Economy Index, Green Growth Index, Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index, Happy Planet Index, Planetary Adjusted Human Development Index, Sustainable Development Goals Index, and Sustainable Society Index. We first evaluated the eight GSA frameworks using the Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles (BellagioSTAMP) covering guiding vision, essential considerations, adequate scope, framework and indicators, transparency, effective communication, broad participation, and continuity and capacity. Then we analyzed consolidated indicators from the frameworks to determine if they pay balanced attention to different sustainability dimensions and integrate positive peace. While evaluation using BellagioSTAMP is generally satisfactory, positive peace is inadequately addressed in some frameworks, despite peace being a prerequisite for sustainable development. The study results can inform the development of assessment frameworks that better integrate the components of peace and sustainability. The study also highlights the importance of positive peace in achieving sustainable development and the need to ensure assessment frameworks inform actions toward building peaceful communities.

The modern interpretation of happiness and its applicability to Ukraine

The article is dedicated to the analysis of modern approaches to the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of happiness to outline the conditions of a happy life for Ukrainians (Ukrainian happiness). This is important for the development of a vision of a post-war future, the definition of the integral goal of post-war development, and the role of the policy of happiness in it. The article considers subjective and objective, internal and external conditions of happiness, including the dependence of happiness on both economic and environmental conditions in their interconnectedness. The relevance of such an analysis is conditioned by the global situation (the global environmental crisis, growth of the environmental threats and challenges, diminishing of the total natural capital, etc.) and the national reality (environmental damage as a result of Russian aggression and the challenges of post-war restoration). Special attention is paid to the non-linear influence of material well-being and its effect on happiness, as well as the dependence of happiness on the quality of the environment. The analysis of this issue is based on the consideration of: 1) Easterlin paradox; 2) Layard’s “The Big Seven factors affecting happiness” (family relationships, financial situation, work, involvement in the community and friendship, physical and mental health, personal freedom and personal values); 3) the methodology of “conversion” of natural capital into a long, comfortable, and happy life for people (Happy Planet Index); 4) hypothesis of biophilia as the evolutionarily determined psycho-emotional connection of man with nature and as a precondition of well-being and happiness (E. Wilson, S. Kellert). It is concluded that for Ukraine it is important not only to estimate the economic and environmental losses caused by Russian aggression but also the economic and environmental cost of post-war reconstruction. A strategy for harmonizing economic, social, and environmental policies as components of an integral policy of happiness should be worked out. Nature should be considered not only as a source of economic growth but also as a basis for satisfying non-material human needs and feelings of biophilia.

The association between nation-level social and economic indices and suicide rates: A pilot study.

Ever since the pioneering work of Emile Durkheim, it has been known that regional or national suicide rates can be influenced by a variety of social and economic factors. Recent research has found a robust association between two country-level economic indices-gross national product and unemployment rate-and suicide rates, particularly in men. However, the association between other country-level social indices-such as measures of social integration, inequality, environmental preservation and political freedom-and suicide rates has not been studied at the cross-national level. In the current study, national suicide rates for men and women were examined in relation to seven indices measuring subjective wellbeing, sustainable development, type of political regime, economic and gender inequality, and social capital. It was found that the Happy Planet Index, a composite measure of subjective wellbeing and sustainable development, was negatively associated with suicide rates independent of gender, and even after adjusting for possible confounding factors. Economic inequality was associated with suicide in men, and social capital was associated with suicide in women. Moreover, the strength and direction of the associations observed between socioeconomic indices and suicide varied across income groups. These results highlight the need for a closer evaluation of the link between large-scale ("macro") social factors and individual ("micro") psychological factors, as well as the importance of integrating these factors into suicide prevention programmes at the national level.

Rational nature management: problems and prospects of Ukraine in the global system of nature restoration activities

The paper is devoted to studying the current state of nature management in Ukraine, considering the key factors that create problems in the global system of natural reproduction in Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to identify the key place, problems, and prospects of national nature management in Ukraine compared with other countries of the world and to determine the prospects for developing nature management in the post-war recovery period. For the research, general scientific methods of cognition were used, particularly methods of induction, deduction, analysis, synthesis, grouping, and systematization. The research results are based on the study of global environmental management ratings, including the environmental performance rating, the Happy Planet Index, the Global Green Economy Index, and the sustainable economic development assessment. The study of Ukraine's place among all countries in the world in terms of environmental management has highlighted a number of key problems, including deforestation, pollution, inefficient waste management, water use, etc. Furthermore, the report considers ways to improve natural resource management based on improving the natural resource management system and reducing corruption in all areas of natural resource management. The priority areas for the conservation and development of natural resources are the use of alternative, renewable energy sources, improvement of the processing industry, and introduction of modern standards and technologies for using natural resources. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of its use in the development of sustainable development strategies for the next periods.

How sustainable is happiness? An enquiry about the sustainability and wellbeing performance of societies

ABSTRACT Questioning both sustainability and universality of development led to a movement of developing alternative indicator sets to provide a more reliable picture about quality of life than conventional economic indicators do. Some of these sets correlate, to a certain extent, with formal (market) economic development while some do not. In this study, I choose one of them, the Happy Planet Index (HPI) and its sub-indicators, to prove empirically the lack of unanimity concerning the correlation between formal socio-economic performance, wellbeing, and sustainability. For this objective, I apply cross-sectional regression analysis for the multitude of 152 countries, using 2019 data, the latest pre-pandemic year where country data are completely available. The results of the analysis support the hypothesis that correlation between most of the variables is not ubiquitous. However, by splitting the whole multitude into sub-multitudes of countries according to their geographic and cultural belonging, certain significant relationships (sometimes opposite ones) are found, underpinning the importance of geographic and cultural diversity. On the other hand, life expectancy and subjective wellbeing prove to correlate only on a global scale while they are uncorrelated on smaller scales.

Freedom and Happiness: Does Freedom Make People Happy?

The article analyzes the relationship between freedom and happiness, in particular whether freedom makes people happy. The problem of freedom and happiness in the modern world affects the life of every person. Utilitarians argue that freedom, understood as the absence of constraints, increases people's happiness, as J. S. Mill argued in On Liberty. More recently there have been a number of empirical studies examining whether happiness levels are higher in societies that have more liberty. These studies are critically examined and some of the difficulties of establishing whether it is liberty or some other closely-related phenomena, such as democracy or development, that cause happiness are discussed. The article presents data from Freedom House and the Happy Planet Index to attempt to determine the effect of liberty on happiness. This enables us to determine the place of freedom in the hierarchy of values and understand its place in society and its significance for the individual.

Social Progress beyond GDP: A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of GDP and Twelve Alternative Indicators

What social progress is and how to measure it are seemingly plain but essentially intri-cate questions that have not been clarified to date, which has led to various social problems and development failures. Designed after the Great Depression in the 1930s, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been, on the one hand, regarded as the greatest invention of the 20th century and is widely accepted as the primary indicator for social progress, but on the other hand, it has been criticized as knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing. The Beyond GDP Movement that has been active since the 2010s has inspired global interest in designing indicators to replace or supplement GDP, but none of them stands out as GDP’s successor. We take 12 influential indicators that consider beyond GDP and carry out a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to investigate their correlations. The results indicate that GDP per capita (GDPP) can explain 65.61% of the information in the first principal component (PC) and account for 51.10% of the information related to the total 13 indicators, indicating its major role in social progress. Most indicators have strong correlations with GDPP, not beyond, and only the Ecological Footprint per capita (EFP) and Happy Planet Index (HPI) that have negative and weak correlations with GDPP, respectively, can provide new perspectives and values beyond GDP. Social progress is based upon various public values, and the indicators are the measurements of these values. Although GDP and economic values play major roles during social development, other indicators and their potential public values cannot be ignored. Prioritizing these public values and monitoring their indicators are essential to achieving sustainable and comprehensive social progress.

Evaluation of Existing Indexes of Sustainable Well-Being and Propositions for Improvement

The relationship between sustainability and well-being is inconclusive in the literature, with some studies showing consonance while others show dissonance. On top of differences of scale (micro or macro) and of methods, part of this conflict in narratives is due to differences in measurement. In this paper I evaluate the quality of existing indexes linking both concepts at a macro level (Happy Planet Index (first generation and second generation), Sustainable Development Goals Index, Human Sustainable Development Index, Sustainable Development Index, Gaucher’s index). Recognizing the limits of all of them and acknowledging that the current landscape of measures is over-oriented towards cognitive measures on the well-being side and ecological footprint-oriented on the environmental side, I propose some alternatives to complete the current measures and I discuss possible implications.

The Scientific and Methodological Approach to Classification of Economic Systems According to the Criterion of Pleasure

The purpose of the work is to solve the set problem by developing the scientific and methodological approach to classification of economic systems according to the criterion of pleasure. Based on the existing methodologies of measuring the level of development of pleasure economy - methodology of calculation of happiness index and methodology of calculation of happy planet index - the author develops and uses (approbates) a new scientific and methodological approach to classification of economic systems according to the criterion of pleasure. Within this approach, two measures of the pleasure economy are distinguished: the level of happiness in society and the level of social, economic, and ecological well-being of society. This allows considering the external conditions of living on the territory and their internal perception by the residents. It is substantiated that the capabilities of state management of the pleasure economy are very limited.

Planetary health indicators for the local level: opportunities and challenges in applying the happy planet index in Victoria, Australia.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, New Urban Agenda and Paris Agreement on Climate Change are blueprints for health promotion action that mandate human health is linked inextricably to the health of the environment. In the Anthropocene, new indicators are required to promote community engagement with, and measurement of, healthy and sustainable wellbeing for people and planet. This study explored the need for a metric such as the Happy Planet Index that explicitly links human health to health of the environment for a local level scale in Australia. The project arose from an international coalition of health promoters advocating for 'planetary health' approaches. Qualitative description methods guided the study design involving key informant interviews (n = 17) and four focus groups (n = 27 participants) with health and/or sustainability academics, practitioners and policy-makers. Document analysis of health and environment indices and policy mandates augmented the analysis. Qualitative content analysis techniques were used to analyse the findings. There was strong interest for a local level composite indicator, such as a rescaled Happy Planet Index (life expectancy × life satisfaction × equity adjustment/ecological footprint) for use at a local level. The value of a composite index was: its ability to promote community engagement with planetary health thinking; an advocacy tool for joint health and sustainability policy; to justify programs on health and environmental co-benefits; and to provide a mechanism for correlative comparisons between local governments and national comparisons. However, disciplinary silos currently limit partnerships for health promotion and planetary health and a local composite index could help bridge these divides.

Factors of Quality of Life in a Group of Selected European Union and OECD Countries

This work focuses on the evaluation of the factors of quality of life in a sample of 26 countries. Quality of life is a complex, multidimensional concept, which includes various social, cultural, economic, political, demographic and environmental aspects. Regarding this, principal component analysis and regression analysis were chosen as relevant methods to analyse relationships among twenty-five variables related to quality of life, and their rela-tionships with three composite indices reflecting crucial aspects of quality of life, wellbeing and sustainability. These indices, applied as the response variables in the regression analysis, include the inequality-adjusted alter-native of the Human Development Index (IHDI), the Happy Planet Index (HPI), and Healthy Life Years (HLY). The IHDI represents an objective indicator of human development and wellbeing. HLY reflects quality of life in terms of health. The HPI combines the ecological efficiency with which human wellbeing is delivered, while it also includes a subjective measure of wellbeing. Since each of these indices represent different aspects of quality of life to a certain extent, some of the factors (represented by selected indicators) affected them in different ways. After applying a Lasso regression, nine of the 25 indicators – representing crucial factors of quality of life – were identified. Homicide rate (representing the factor of safety) affected all three indices in a negative way, whereas Years in education (representing the factor of education) and Life satisfaction – a subjective indicator of wellbeing representing the dimension of the same name, affected them positively. JEL Classification: I10, I13, I15, I18, Q01

Measuring Welfare in Romania: Alternative and Complementary Measures to Gross Domestic Product

The study presents alternative measures for measuring the welfare of a country in the context of identifying relationships generated by the impact of changes in the income level, measured by gross domestic product (GDP), related to other welfare, measured by the Happy Planet Index (HPI). The analysis was conducted in Romania, during the period from 2012 to 2016. The research methodology involves simple linear regression and welfare descriptive variables such as GDP, GDP/capita, HPI and its subcomponents’ indicators, namely life satisfaction, life expectancy and ecological footprint. Identification of aspects that have an impact on the welfare of citizens allows to compare levels of wellbeing experienced worldwide and to identify the main areas at the national level on which improvements can be made. The results indicate that, although there is no correlation between GDP and HPI, GDP/capita has great influence on both life satisfaction and life expectancy. Also, GDP has influence on the ecological footprint. Given these considerations, the main conclusion of the research is that, although the level of welfare, quantified using GDP, changes positively, this change is due to the increased life expectancy, life satisfaction, reduced ecological footprint rather than to changes in income levels.KEYWORDS: indicators, GDP, HPI, life satisfaction, welfare.

The scientific and methodological approach to classification of economic systems according to the criterion of pleasure

The purpose of the work is to solve the set problem by developing the scientific and methodological approach to classification of economic systems according to the criterion of pleasure. Based on the existing methodologies of measuring the level of development of pleasure economy - methodology of calculation of happiness index and methodology of calculation of happy planet index - the author develops and uses (approbates) a new scientific and methodological approach to classification of economic systems according to the criterion of pleasure. Within this approach, two measures of the pleasure economy are distinguished: the level of happiness in society and the level of social, economic, and ecological well-being of society. This allows considering the external conditions of living on the territory and their internal perception by the residents. It is substantiated that the capabilities of state management of the pleasure economy are very limited.

Socio-economic viability of public management in the context of European integration processes

The European Union forms new requirements for the efficiency of public institutions and the gradual transformation of public management. The relationship between the viability of public management to solve internal problems and the dynamics of socio-economic development is obvious. So, the evaluation of the viability of public institutions’ actions related to the socio-economic processes in any country has theoretical and practical significance. The purpose of our study is to assess the socio-economic viability of public management in the context of European integration processes. Within the article, a comprehensive study of the public management viability in EU countries is presented. The specificity of the study is to assess the socio-economic viability of public management on the basis of economic and social indicators of EU countries. According to the overview of scientific works it is a need to use a comprehensive indicator of public management viability evaluation. So, the considerable attention is paid to the deepening of methodical aspects of public management effectiveness on the basis of multicriteria methods. The result of the study is the calculation of the Socio-Economic Viability Index of Public Management. The obtained results prove the relationship between the SocioEconomic Viability Index of Public Management and the progress of economic reforms in the EU, with the possibility of appropriate conclusions for countries to identify strengths and weaknesses, justify priorities and means to achieve them in the context of European integration. These conclusions can be used as a starting point to assess the relationship between the level of development of the European country and the quality of its public management. The study confirmed the thesis on the correlation between the SocioEconomic Viability Index of Public Management and Happy Planet Index, The Global Competitiveness Index, Corruption Perceptions Index, Fragile States Index and сonfirm the possibility of using this indicator to assess public management quality in EU countries.

Comparison of Nurse Teachers and General Teachers and Nurses Happy Planet Index

Background/Objectives: He purpose of this study is to suggest alternatives for being happier by measuring teachers and nurses’ happy planet index among women who enter professions and by grasping factors that have impacts on clinical nurses’ happiness.Method/Statistical Analysis: This study conducted a survey of a total of 727 teachers and looked into surveys that have 19 questions on the happy planet index and 7 questions on general characteristics. SPSS WIN 23.0 was used as the data analysis method and multivariate analysis of variance(MANOVA) was used to analyze differences in the happy planet index among groups and multiple regression analysis was used to analyze factors that had impacts on the happy planet index.Findings: The results of this study showed that correlation among the happy planet index and the housing possession and monthly income and working experience was statistically significant and that factors that had impacts on the happy planet index were age and marriage and religion and educational background.Improvements/Applications: As for the study results, it is reckoned that potential developments and motivation programs that improve self-respect and self-consciousness and that can contribute to organizations should be developed for improvements in the happy planet index of clinical nurses who have very little work experience.